Electrical connecter device



June 25, 1929. c. E. WARNER ELECTRICAL CONNECTER DEVICE Filed March 23. 1922 INVENTUR' FTFTDRNBYE Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER E. WARNER, F BERWYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER DEvIcE.

Application filed March 23, 1922.

My invention relates to electrical connector devices, and more particularly to plural lugs.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a plural plug which will be easy to assemble, durable and eflicient in use, and cheap to manufacture.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a two-way plug;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the plug shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the spacer member on which the various parts of the plug are clamped;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the spacer member shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section through the spacer member, on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section through one of the receptacle threaded shell contacts, showing one of the methods of supporting the insulating contact spacer members;

Fig. is a top view of the members shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a bottom View of the members shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation through one of the receptacle casings;

Fig. 11 is a top view of the casing shown in Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the conductor members.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the plural plug construction is so designed that all of the parts which go to make up the device are held together in assembled position with respect to each other by means of the single central axially extending screw 10. The various parts of the plural plug are in effect strung on this central axial screw just as beads are strung on a cord, and when the central screw is removed, the entire construction either falls apart, or can be easily disassembled by hand without the use of any tools whatever. Similarly, in assembling, the parts are slipped onto the central screw 10, and when this screw 10 is threaded into the stamping 11, all of the parts are securely held in place in assembled position.

Serial No. 545,957.

The construction shown comprises in addition to the axial screw 10 and the stamping 11 referred to above, a threaded shell plug contact 12, a plug center contact 13, receptacle threaded shell contacts 14 and 15, insulating fibre sleeves 16 and 17 respectively, a molded insulating spacer member or body 20, inter mediate the plug shell contact 12 and the receptacle shell contacts 14 and 15, and sheet fibre spacing members 21 interposed between the stamping 11 and the threaded shell contacts 14 and 15.

As intimated above, the entire construction is practically built up in layers. Thus, the fibre spacer member 21 is superposed upon the stamping 11, the flanges of the threaded shell receptacle contacts 14 and 15 are superposed upon the fibre discs 21, the flanges of the insulating sleeves 16 and 17 are superposed upon the threaded shell contacts 14 and 15, the flanges of the cylindrical casing members 18 and 19 are superposed upon the flanges of the insulating sleeves 16 and 17, the molded insulating spacer member is superposed upon the flanges of the casing members 18 and 19, the inwardly extending flange of the plug shell contact 12 is superposed upon the spacer member 20, and the insulating base 22 of the plug is superposed upon the flange of the plug shell contact 12. \Vhen the central screw 10 is inserted through the. insulating base 22 and the insulating spacer and is threaded into the stamping 11, the entire construction is clamped together and firmly held in assembled position.

In order to electrically connect the threaded shell plug contact 12 with the threaded shell receptacle contacts 14 and 15, a pair of conductor members 23 and 24 are provided, extending through suitable passages 25 and 26 respectively, in the insulating spacer 20, and having portions lying against the various threaded shell contacts.

The stampings 23 and 24 are of relatively light material and in the device as illustrated are formed as shown in Fig. 12, so that the ends 27 may be inserted through the openings 28 and 29 in the receptacle threaded shell contacts 14 and 15 and the ends 30 may readily be bent over inside the threaded shell plug contact 12, to engage the flange thereof, without the use of any tools.

The stamping 11 is provided with portions 31, which form center contacts for the receptacles. The receptacle shells 14 and 15 ed shell and center contacts 12 and 13.

in (i I are identical and are provided at their upper ends with shoulders 32 toreceive the flanges 38 of the casings 18 and 19, and are also provided with reduced'portions 34 arrangedto seat in the depressions in the bottom of the insulating spacer 20, the sides of the reduced portions of the receptacles engaging the sides 36 of the depressions in the spacer, thereby preventing rotation of the receptacle shell contacts 1 1 and 15.

The fibre discs 21 may be secured in the receptacle contacts, if desired, by the depressions 37 under the discs.

The casings 18 and 19 are provided with the upturned serrated flange 38 arranged to engage cooperating lugs 39 on the insulating spacer QOto prevent rotation of the casings.

In order to prevent relative rotation between the plug insulating base 22 and the iir sulating spacer 20, the insulating spacer 20 is provided with a lug or boss 10 (-F 4t) which extends into a correspondly shaped recess in the insulating base 22.-

The central screw 10 which holds all of the parts in assembled position also serves to supply current to the stamping 11 on which the center contacts 31 are formed. The clamping action of the screw 10 also serves to hold the stampings 23 and 24 in firm engagement and good electrical contact with the threaded shell receptacle contacts 14 and 15.

As stated at the outsetit will be seen that practically every element of the entire construction is held in assembled position by means of a single axially extending screw 10.

The two-way plug may be considered as comprising a plug portion, a receptacle subass emb-ly, an insulating spacer between the plug portion and the receptacle sub-assembly, and means for clamping the receptacle subassemhly against the insulating spacer and for clamping the insulating spacer against the plug portion.

The plug portion may be considered as comprising the insulating base 22, and the thread- The receptacle subassembly may be considered as comprising the threaded shell contacts 14. and 15, the insulating sleeves 1G and 17, the

metal casings 18 and 19, and the insulating buttons 21.

The means for clamping the receptacle assembly against the insulating spacer 20 and for clamping the insulating spacer against a the plug portion, may be considered as com prising the stamping 11, and the central screw 1.0.

It will be noted that the insulating'buttons 21 are non-circular and are seated in correspondingly shaped non-circular pockets in the inner ends of the threaded shell contacts 14 and 15, whereby relative rotation between these buttons and the threaded shell contacts is prevented. As the buttons themselves are held against rotation vbecause of the fact that the stamping 11 extends through openings in these buttons, it follows that'the threaded shell contacts are held against rotation when the plug-in device is being screwed in.

he conductor strips 23 and 24 also assist in preventing rotation of the contacts 14 and 15, as these contacts are non-rotatably mounted with respect to these conductors, and as the tip portions of these conductor strips are turned upwardly and extend into recesses 41 in the insulating spacer, to assist in positioning these spacer members and holding them against movement when a plug-in device is being screwed into the receptacle shell contact.

Because of the reduced diameter at the inner ends of the threaded shell receptacle contacts 1 1 and 15, these can be brought closer together than would be the case it they were not thus reduced, whereby a very compact construction may be secured.

While I have described but one embodiment of my invention it is obvious that it may be embodied in other forms as covered and defined by the appended claims.

- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent ot the United States is 1. A plural plug comprising center and shell plug contacts, receptacle shell contacts, flanged insulating sleeves, one surrounding each receptacle shell contact, flanged cylindrical casing shells, one surrounding each insulating sleeve, a stamping provided with receptacle center contacts, and an insulating spacer between said stamping and each of said receptacle shell contacts, said spacer members being superposed upon said stamping, said threaded shell cont-acts being superposed upon said spacer members, the flanges of said insulating sleeves being superposed upon the shell'receptacle contacts, the flanges of said casing shells being superposed upon the flanges of said insulating sleeves, and a securing member extending axially of said plug and secured to said stamping for supplying current to said receptacle center contacts and for clamping said superposed parts together and holding themvin assembled po sition.

2. A multi-way plug comprising a plug portion,'a receptacle sub-assembly comprising a plurality of threaded shell contacts, an insulating spacer between said receptacle subassembly and plug portion, means for clamping said receptacle sub-assembly against said ill) insulating spacer and for supplying current tact with the receptacle shell contact, comprising strips extending through said insulating spacer, said receptacle shell contacts having flanges at their inner ends, said conductor strips extending into said receptacle shell contacts and thence outwardly from said threaded shell contacts through said flanges.

3. A multi-way plug comprising a plug portion, a receptacle sub-assembly comprising a plurality of threaded shell contacts, an insulatin spacer between said receptacle subassembly and plug portion, means for clamping said receptacle sub-assembly against said insulating spacer and for supplying current to said receptacle, comprising a metallic member to which said threaded receptacle shell contacts are secured, and a screw extending through said plug portion and spacer and secured to said metallic member, said plug portion comprising a threaded shell contact, and means for electrically connecting the plug shell contact with the receptacle shell cont acts. comprising strips extending through said insulating spacer, said receptacle shell contacts having flanges at their inner ends, said conductor strips extending into said re ceptacle shell contacts and thence outwardly from said threaded shell contacts through said flanges, said spacer member having pockets into which the outwardly extending tips of said strips extend.

l. A two-way plug comprising a plug portion, a receptacle portion, and an insulating member embraced between the plug portion and receptacle portion for positioning the receptacle portion with respect to the plug portion, said plug portion comprising a threaded shell contact, said receptacle por tion comprising two threaded shell contacts, said insulating spacer being bounded substanti ally bv the planes of junction with the inner ends of the three threaded shell contacts, said insulating member being provided with a pair of shallow annular recesses in which the inner ends of the receptacle shell contacts are seated, the inner ends of the receptacle shell contacts being reduced whereby they may be placed close together to secure a compact construction.

5. A two-way plug comprising a plug portion, a receptacle portion, and an insulating member embraced between the plug portion and receptacle portion for positioning the receptacle portion with respect to the plug portion, said plug portion comprising a threaded shell contact, said receptacle portion comprising two threaded shell contacts said insulating spacer being bounded substantially by the planes of junction with the inner ends of the three threaded shell contacts, and a pair of insulating sleeves of thin sheet material encasing the receptacle shell contacts, said insulating member being provided with a pair of shallow annular recesses in which the inner ends of said sleeves and receptacle shell contacts are seated.

6. A twoway plug comprising a plug portion, a receptacle portion, and an insulating spacer portion between the plug portion and the receptacle portion, said plug portion comprising a threaded shell contact, said receptacle portion comprising two threaded shell contacts, said insulating spacer portion terminating substantially at and being bounded substantially by its planes of junction with the threaded shell receptacle contacts, said receptacle portion comprising also two sleeves of thin insulating sheet material surrounding said receptacle shell contacts and extending substantially to said planes of junction and two metal casing sleeves surrounding said insulating sleeves and extending substantially to said planes of junction;

7. A plugv cluster, the cluster portion of which comprises a plurality of shell contacts, each having an insulating disk secured across its inner end, each disk having an aperture therethrough, and a combination anchorage and center contact member comprising a metal strip having its end portions hook-shaped and hooked through the openings in said disks respectively to form center contacts for the respective receptacles, and means for securing said anchorage member to said plug portion and supplying current to said bent over center contact portions, comprising a screw extending through the plug portion and connected with said strip.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHESTER E. WARNER. 

